First aid - it’s one of the most important skills in both the workplace and home, yet fewer than one in 20 of us are qualified to do it.

With that in mind, TAFE NSW has thrown a lifeline to Hunter region residents by offering an industry-leading short course from its Newcastle, Glendale, Singleton and Muswellbrook locations.

The Statement of Attainment in Provide First Aid is a 14-hour course that equips participants with skills and knowledge to empower them to take control of an emergency situation.

According to the Red Cross, Australia has one of the lowest rates in the world for first aid training, with fewer than 5 per cent of people trained in how to handle a medical emergency.

This is despite about 500,000 Australians being hospitalised annually for injuries, with about 12,000 of those people losing their lives. Meanwhile, an average of 33,000 people suffer cardiac arrests in Australia each year and only 5 to 7 per cent of victims survive.

TAFE NSW Head Teacher of Health Sciences, Massage, Outdoor Recreation and First Aid, Wendy Davey, said, “First aid is something you hope you never need but you never know when you will need it.”

“It’s an amazing feeling to help save someone’s life and having these skills stops you from feeling helpless when you’re confronted by an emergency.”

Ms Davey said a first aid certificate was highly regarded by employers and was a prerequisite for some roles in industries like childcare, education, fitness and leisure, disability care, community services and health.

The TAFE NSW short course provides the flexibility of 6 hours pre-work online, then an interactive day at your campus for practice and assessment across basic life support, casualty management, CPR and defibrillator use.

Ms Davey, who is based at TAFE NSW Newcastle, said some past students had extraordinary stories to tell.

"A farmer who had first aid training recently suffered a severe chainsaw accident and was able to save his own life by applying what he had learned about bleeding control and shock management,” she said.

“Following this incident, a TAFE NSW first aid course was held in the local area with many residents attending as they wanted to be better prepared for an emergency."

Safe Work Australia advises at least one in every 50 workers in an office environment and one in 25 workers in a higher risk environment, like a construction site, should have a first aid certificate.

To find out more about studying a first aid short course or a different course in semester two at TAFE NSW Newcastle, Glendale, Singleton or Muswellbrook phone 13 16 01 or visit www.tafensw.edu.au. As Australia’s largest training provider, TAFE NSW offers over 1200 courses, from certificates to degrees.